About

Perfect Tides

$53,218

pledged of $30,000 goal

1,045

backers

It's the year 2000. You’re trapped on an island. Well… actually, you live there. Your food and socks and family are there. You have a virus-free computer and a 56k modem. And with gorgeous rolling dunes, free-roaming deer and no cars in sight, the landscape is basically paradise.

But it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. Three seasons out of the year, the island is practically abandoned. And with school going badly on the mainland, sometimes the internet is your only company. Not that you’ve minded, lately: your online life is taking you to wild new places. You feel acceptance, creative empowerment… and for the first time, something very close to how you imagined love would be.

The seasons carry you mercilessly, from one revelation to another. As summer approaches, the island pulsates with nervous anticipation, and so do you. Your life is about to change in irreversible ways — in undreamed-of directions. You may soon discover what lies beyond the island, and perhaps more mysteriously, in the depths of your own heart. What are you looking to know?

MEREDITH GRAN is a cartoonist, animator and writer who previously completed a 10-year run of the webcomic Octopus Pie. She has over a decade of accumulated experience working in published & online comics, web design, TV animation, independent filmmaking, small press event planning, and art instruction. She will start referring to herself in the 1st person now.

After completing Octopus Pie, a 1000+ page meditation on 20-something life, I began looking for a new platform to tell a story from a teenage perspective. For me, the teen experience is often an internal one: an exploration of one's heart and mind, and not always easily conveyed by images or words alone.

I started thinking about the classic Adventure game as a means of not only viewing, but immersing oneself in the thoughts, feelings, sacred objects and desires of the protagonist. This approach made more and more sense as I delved back into the "golden age" Sierra games and identified what I loved: challenging and rewarding puzzles, a humorous, conversational narrative, lush and lively exploration, and a little bit of deity-like cruelty.

I've teamed up with artist and animator SOREN HUGHES to develop the visual style of the game. Soren's environments are vibrant and confident, breathing an organic life into the world of Perfect Tides. Our goal is to present a world that is full of fun, promise, mystery, and tangible goodness to the player.

At the heart of Perfect Tides is a linear story that unfolds over the course of one year. We see the emotional genesis of a teenage girl, filled with humor, intrigue and visceral moments, against the backdrop of four seasons in the American northeast.

As the story progresses, there is opportunity for non-linear exploration, collection and utilization of items, and puzzle solving. The player can uncover new secrets in different seasons, in both day and night settings.

I'm looking to keep this fundraiser lean and mean, focusing as much money as possible on game production. But there are also goodies both digital and physical to be had, to "tide" you over (so to speak!!) during production:

Thank You cards - I'll send a hand-written postcard to your door. This will have a little Perfect Tides design on it, and look quite nice rotating around the ephemera of your home.

Perfect Tides intro minicomic - This is a short comic book story that will introduce you to the world of Perfect Tides, and our hero Mara's life. Written and drawn by ME! You can get either a digital or physical copy of this (or both!) depending on the pledge.

Soundtrack - This game will have music, and it'll want to be shared! A digital copy of the game's music awaits you at multiple pledge levels.

Limited Edition T-shirt (Design TBA) - A high quality silkscreened 2-color T-shirt that will enjoy exactly 1 print run. You can literally wear your support for this project, and I'm confident it will look nice on the go, at the gym, in front of the computer, folded neatly in a dresser, or even tossed cavalierly on the floor.

Limited Edition Game Box - If you're nostalgic for the containers games came in during the 90s, well, you and I agree! As a super special premium item, you'll be able to display this box in your home. It will contain a special "Making of Perfect Tides" booklet that can't be found anywhere else.

In-Game Assets - If you seek to transcend the physical realm with your pledge, there are multiple options for you at different pledge levels! Be a character in the game, or an honored institution on the island.

ALL pledgers at every level will receive my heartiest thanks via e-mail, and a thank you in the credits of the game, for helping to make this vision come true. Every little bit takes us further to this goal!

Risks and challenges

I began working on Perfect Tides in September 2017, and spent months chipping away at it on my own. I wanted to be sure that developing a game was a viable commitment for me - that it would be possible to translate my passion for comics and animation to this new platform. Today, after launching the materials Soren and I have created thus far, I'm more confident than ever that it's the right path.

To be sure, Perfect Tides is my first game. I'd be lying to promise no frustration, no surprises, no delays. However, I'm bringing years of experience in project management, budgeting, order fulfillment, scheduling, creating assets, directing a team, and delivering a finished product.

The biggest pitfall for me, and my top priority, is getting everyone other than myself paid. This is a task I'm seeking to front-load into the production wherever possible. I would like to ensure that the bulk of the budget is spent on things I simply cannot do myself. This includes much of the environmental work, as well as the game's music, but will potentially include more of the workload, like sophisticated coding and additional art and writing, depending on where we get with the budget. Basically I'll finish the game myself on a shoestring if necessary, but would love some help to enrich things.

I hope you will consider helping me enrich this idea, and bringing this project to reality!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 15 or more
About US$ 15

Progress Wanter

A budget option if you'd like to help out, and get a few treats! This tier includes a PDF of an exclusive 12-page minicomic, written and drawn by Meredith Gran, as well as a hand-written Thank you postcard in the mail.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 50 or more
About US$ 50

Stuff Appreciator

If you'd like a little more swag, this one's for you. Get the game and all the digital goodies, along with a physical copy of the Perfect Tides comic. Plus you'll get a digital copy of the Perfect Tides soundtrack, and a digital desktop/phone wallpaper.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 150 or more
About US$ 150

Box Displayer

At this level you will get a limited edition Perfect Tides game box, just like they used to make 'em in the 90s. It contains all the above-mentioned goodies, plus an exclusive "Making Of Perfect Tides" booklet. All digital rewards included in this tier as well.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 5,000 or more
About US$ 5,000

Big Time Producer

If you pledge this much you'll get an Executive Producer credit in the game, and be credited by monument in-game as a founding mother/father of the island of Perfect Tides. The people of the island will never forget your sacrifice.